the foundations of personality-第55章

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out　inhibition　is　behind　most　of　the　gambling　and　card　playing；　it　explains　the　extraordinary　attraction　of　the　detective　story　and　the　thrilling　movies；　it　gives　great　social　value　to　the　prize　fight　and　the　ball　game　where　you　may　see　the　staid　and　the　sober　giving　vent　to　an　excitement　that；　may　fatigue　them　for　a　time　but　which　clears　the　way　for　their　next　day's　inhibitions。　Unfortunately　too　many　mistake　excitement　for　happiness。　The　forms　of　relief　from　inhibitioncard　playing；　sports；　the　theater；　the　thrilling　story　and　the　moviegrow　to　be　habits　and　lose　their　exciting　value。　They　can　give　no　permanent　relief　from　the　pain　of　repression；　only　a　philosophy　of　life　can　do　that。　A　philosophy　of　life！　One　might　write　a　few　volumes　on　that　（and　there　are　so　many　great　philosophers　already　on　the　market）；　and　yet　such　a　philosophy　would　only　state　that　strenuous　purpose　must　alternate　with　quiet　relaxation；　excitement　is　to　be　sought　only　at　periods　and　never　for　any　length　of　time；　relief　from　inhibitions　can　only　be　found　in　legitimate　ways　or　self…reproach　enters。　Play；　sports；　short　frequent　vacations　rather　than　long　ones；　freedom　from　ceremony　as　a　rulebut　now　and　then　a　full　indulgence　in　ceremonialsand　a　realization　that　there　is　no　freedom　in　self…indulgence。　I　remember　one　Puritanically　bred　young　woman　who　fled　from　her　restrictions　and　inhibitions　and　joined　a　〃free　love〃　colony　in　New　York。　After　two　years　she　left；　them　and　came　back　to　New　England。　Her　statement　of　the　situation　she　found　herself；　it　summarizes　all　attempts　at　〃freedom。〃　〃It　wasn't　freedom。　You　found　yourself　bound　to　your　desires；　a　slave　to　every　wish。　It　grew　awfully　tiresome　and　besides；　it　brought　so　many　complications。　Sometimes　you　loved　where　you　weren't　lovedand　vice　versa。　Jealousy　was　there；　oh；　so　much　of　itand　pleasure　disappeared　after　a　while。　It　wasn't　conscienceI　still　believe　that　right　and　wrong　are　arbitrary　matters　but　I　found　myself　envying　people　who　had　some　guide；　some　belief；　some　restrictions　in　themselves！　For　it　seemed　to　me　they　were　more　free　than　I。〃　The　fact　is；　for　most　men　and　women　inhibition　is　no　artificial　phenomenon；　despite　its　burdensomeness。　It　is　not　only　inevitable；　it　is　desirable。　A　feeling　of　power　appears　when　one　resists；　there　is　mental　gain；　character　growth　as　a　result。　Life　must　be　purposive　else　it　is　vain　and　futile；　and　the　feeling　of　no　achievement　and　failure　is　far　more　disastrous　than　a　thousand　inhibitions。　Though　man　battles　and　compromises　with　himself；　he　also　battles　and　compromises　with　his　fellows　and　circumstances。　That　is　to　say；　he　must　continually　adjust　himself　to　the　unforeseen；　the　obstacle；　the　favoring　circumstance；　the　possible　and　impossible；　the　certain　and　uncertain。　Adjustment　to　reality　is　what　the　neurologists　call　it；　but　they　do　not　define　reality；　which　indeed　cannot　be　defined。　It　is　not　the　same　thing　for　any　two　persons。　For　some　reality　is　success；　for　others　it　is　virtue。　The　scientist　smiles　at　the　reality　of　the　love…sick　girl；　and　she　would　think　his　reality　a　bad　dream。　The　artist　says；　〃Beauty　is　the　reality〃；　the　miser　says；　〃Cash〃；　the　sentimentalist　answers；　〃None　of　this　but　Love〃；　and　the　philosopher；　aloof　from　all　these；　defines　reality　as　〃Truth。〃　And　the　skeptic　asks；　〃What　is　Truth？〃　We　gain　nothing　by　saying　a　man　must　adjust　himself　to　reality；　we　say　something　definite　when　we　say　he　must　adjust　his　wishes　to　his　abilities；　to　the　opposing　wills；　wisher；　and　abilities　of　others；　to　the　needs　of　his　family　and　his　country；　to　disease；　old　age　and　death；　to　the　flux　of　the　river　of　life。　In　the　quickness　of　adjustment　we　have　a　great　character　factor；　in　the　farsightedness　of　adjustment　（foreseeing；　planning）　we　have　another。　Does　a　man　take　his　difficulties　with　courage　and　good　cheer　does　he　make　the　〃best　of　it〃　or　is　he　plunged　into　doubt　and　indecision　by　obstacles　or　complications？　Is　he　calm；　cool；　collected；　well　poised；　in　that　he　watches　and　works　without　too　much　emotion　and　maintains　self…feeling　against　adversity？　We　say　a　man　is　self…reliant　when　he　finds　in　himself　resources　against　obstacles　and　does　not　call　on　his　neighbors　for　help。　We　would　do　well　to　extend　the　term　to　the　one　whose　fund　of　courage；　hope；　energy　and　resource　springs　largely　from　within　himself；　who　resists　the　forces　that　reduce　courage；　hope　and　energy。　A　higher　sort　of　man　not　only　supplies　himself　with　the　energetic　factors　of　character；　but　he　inspires；　as　we　say；　others；　he　is　a　sort　of　bank　of　these　qualities；　with　high　reserves　which　he　gives　to　others。　Contrast　him　with　those　whose　cry　constantly　is　〃Help；　help。〃　Charming　they　may　be　as　ornaments；　but　they　deplete　the　treasury　of　life　for　their　associates　and　are　only　of　value　as　they　call　out　the　altruism　of　others。　There　is　no　formula　for　adjustment。　Intelligence；　insight　into　one's　powers　and　capacities；　caution；　boldness；　compromise；　firmness；　aggressiveness；　tact；these　and　a　dozen　other　traits　and　qualities　come　into　play。　It　is　a　favorite　teaching　of　optimistic　sentimentalists；　〃Will　conquers　everythingit　is　omnipotent。〃　God's　will　is；but　no　one　else's。　What　happens　when　two　will　and　pray　for　diametrically　opposing　results？　〃Then　God　is　on　the　side　of　the　heaviest　battalions；〃　said　Napoleon。　Victory　comes　to　the　best　prepared；　the　most　intelligent；　the　least　hampered　and　the　luckiest。　Outside　of　metaphysics　and　theology　there　is　no　abstract　will；　it　is　a　part　of　purpose；　intelligence　and　instinct　and　shares　in　their　imperfections　and　limitations。　To　will　the　impossible　is　to　taste　failure；　although　it　may　be　difficult　to　know　what　is　impossible。　Fight　hard；　be　brave；　keep　your　powder　dry　and　have　good　friends　is　the　best　counsel　for　adjustment。　But　learn　resignation　and　cultivate　a　sense　of　humor。　No　inspiration　in　that？　Well；　I　must　leave　inspiration　to　others　who　have　an　infallible　formula。　The　best　I　can　offer　in　adjustment　is　the　old　prayer；　〃Lord；　make　me　love　the　chase　and　not　the　quarry！　Lord；　make　me　live　up　to　my　ideals！〃　Out　of　the　welter　of　conflicts　into　which　the　individual　is　plunged　through　his　own　nature　and　the　nature　of　the　life　around　him；　out　of　the　experience　of　the　race　and　the　teaching　of　its　leaders　come　ideals。　Good；　Beauty；　Justice；these　are　good　deeds；　beautiful　things；　true　and　non…contradictory　expressions；　just　acts　raised　to　the　divine　and　absolute；　and　therefore　worshiped。　And　their　opposite；　arising　from　evil　deeds；　ugly　and　disgusting　things；　misleading　experiences　and　suffering；　become　unified　into　various　forms　of　Evil。　Life　becomes　divided　into　two　parts；　Good　and　Evil；　and　personified　（by　the　great　majority）　into　God　and　the　Devil。　Man　seeks　the　Good；　hates　Evil；　esteems　himself　when　he　conforms　to　the　ideal；　loathes　himself　when　he　violates　it。　He　cannot　judge　himself；　he　wishes　to　know　the　judgment　of　others　and　accepts　or　rejects　that　judgment。　We　say　man　seeks　pleasure；　satisfaction；　the　Good。　True。　But　it　is　important　to　know　that　essentially　he　seeks　a　higher　self…valuation；　seeks　to　establish　his　own　dignity　and　worth　and　has　his　highest　satisfaction　when　that　valuation　is　reached　through　conformity　with　absolute　standards。

CHAPTER　XII。　THE　METHODS　OF　PURPOSEWORK　CHARACTERS　Having　asked　concerning　any　person；　〃What　are　his　purposes？〃　whether　of　power　or　fellowship；　whether　permanent　or　transitory；　whether　adjustable　or　not；　we　next　ask；　〃How　does　he　seek　their　fulfillment？〃　〃He　who　wills　the　end　wills　the　means〃　is　an　old　saying；　but　men　who　will　the　same　end　may　will　different　means。　There　have　been　those　who　used　assassination　to　bring　about　reform；　and　there　are　plenty　who　use　philanthropy　to　hasten　their　egoistic　aims。　The　nihilist　who　throws　a　bomb　to　bring　about　an　altruistic　state　is　own　cousin　to　the　ward　heeler　who　gives　coal　to　his　poor　constituents　so　that　his　grafting　rule　may　continue。　1。　There　are　those　who　use　the　direct　route　of　force　to　reach　their　goal　of　desire　and　purpose。　They　attempt　to　make　no　nice　adjustments　of　their　wishes　to　the　wishes　of　others；　the　obstacle；　whether　human　or　otherwise　must　get　out　of　their　way　or　be　forcibly　removed　or　destroyed。　〃A　straight　line　is　the　shortest　distance　between　two　points；〃　and　there